101973 Australian Politics: Book Report Instructions
Length: 500 words
A book report is a critical evaluation of a book, taking into account features such as subject matter, argument, points and ideas.
For this exercise, you are asked to read the book you have chosen from the set list:
- Boucher, Geoff and Matthew Sharpe, The Times will Suit Them: Postmodern Conservatism in Australia (Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 2008)
- Brett, Judith, Australian Liberals and the Moral Middle Class: from Alfred Deakin to John Howard (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003)
- Dyrenfurth, Nick and Frank Bongiorno, A Little History of the Australian Labor Party (Sydney: UNSW Press, 2011)
- Edwards, Lindy, The Passion of Politics: the Role of Ideology and Political Theory in Australia (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 2013)
- Maddison, Sarah, Black Politics: Inside the Complexity of Aboriginal Political Culture (Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 2009)
Keep in mind the word length: your task is not to quote or summarise the book but to discuss its important points. The reason such a short assignment constitutes 20 per cent of your mark is because the hard work is in the preparation: reading and analysing the book, then determining how to report on it concisely.
Your book report should be in essay form, with an introduction summarising what the book is about, as well as any argument or theory you can discern. Do not be alarmed if you cannot find one — the list of set books encompasses a variety of styles, so the content will vary from book to book.
The main part of your essay should discuss aspects of the book. Each book is different, so there is no set ‘formula’ to the report, but here are some things to look out for as you read:
- Argument: does the book have a particular point of view?
- Structure: how is the book set out and how well does this serve the book’s subject matter?
- Clarity: could you understand it? Don’t be afraid to say so if you didn’t but you must offer a reason why. It could relate to the structure, the language or the subject matter of the book.
Your conclusion should sum up the strengths and weaknesses of the book. Is it good or bad, clear or confusing, well argued or poor scholarship? Please do not conclude by telling me whether you agree with the book. I am assessing your analytical skills, not your opinions.
Research
It is preferable that you do not research this book. It’s all about your reaction to it. For this reason, DO NOT CITE OTHER SCHOLARLY WORK FOR THIS EXERCISE.
If there is material in the book you do not understand, such as key words or terms that are unfamiliar, you can consult sources such as dictionaries to help you. But this is not research and does not require citing.
Referencing
Put the book’s full title and publication details at the top of your report as you would in a bibliographic entry (you can cut and paste it from the list on vUWS if you wish).
You can quote material from the book, in which case do put the page number in parentheses after the quote, but do not formally cite it. Because the book’s details will appear at the top of your report there is no need for further citation.
Assessment criteria
Students will be assessed according to the following criteria:
- Comprehension, or evidence of having read the entire book
- Ability to identify arguments and themes in a piece of scholarly work
- Originality of response (evidence that the ideas expressed are your own)
- Level 2/3 minimum literacy standard (pass/fail criterion)
- Conciseness: remember that the exercise is only 500 words long; assignments that are more than 20 per cent (100 words) over or under this length will lose marks
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